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Manitoba Junior Hockey League
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior 'A' hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of ten Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). Prior to 1971, the MJHL was eligible for Memorial Cup competition, and now plays for the Royal Bank Cup. Currently, the MJHL consists of 11 teams in 2 divisions, 5 in the Addison Division and 6 in the Sher-Wood Division. Each team plays 62 games during the regular season and the top 4 teams in each division qualify for league playoffs. The playoffs are an elimination tournament consisting of 3 rounds of best-of-seven series. The first 2 rounds determine which team from each division will advance to the final round. The winner of that series becomes the MJHL and Turnbull Cup champion. History The Winnipeg and District Junior Hockey League (WJrHL) became official on the evening of Wednesday, December 12, 1917. The League started with 10 teams and operated as Manitoba's only Junior A hockey league until 1931. For the 1931-32 season the WJrHL had a rival, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The two league champions would play off for the Provincial crown. The rivalry was short lived, with the MJHL joining the WJrHL for the following season. The 1932-33 season proved to be a tough one for the WJrHL, dealing with the constant rumors of the league collapsing and nobody expecting the one league system to last the off-season. However, somehow the Teams banded together to remain one league and one of the changes made was the League’s name. The League was renamed the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Over the years, more than 200 MJHL players have gone on to the National Hockey League (NHL), and 11 of those MJHL graduates have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame: :Andy Bathgate, Turk Broda, Art Coulter, Bobby Clarke, Charlie Gardiner, Bryan Hextall, Tom Johnson, Harry Oliver, Babe Pratt, Terry Sawchuk, and Jack Stewart. MJHL 1933 to 1967 *MJHL the 30's *MJHL the 40's *the 50's *the 60's MJHL 1967 to Present *MJHL the modern era Teams Manitoba Junior Hockey League Champions Post MJHL Playoffs Formats Starting in 1971, the winner of the MJHL playoffs (Turnbull Cup) plays the winner of Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs (Credential Cup) for the Anavet Cup. Since 1990 the winner goes to the Royal Bank Cup tournament (1990-95 Centennial Cup tournament). An Abbott Cup Champion was crowned from the results of the round robin part of this tournament until 1999, when the Cup was retired. From 1971 to 1989, the Anavet Cup Champions advanced to the Abbott Cup against the winner of AJHL/BCHL (Doyle Cup). With the winner going on to the Centennial Cup meeting the Eastern Canada Champions for the National Junior ‘A’ title. Prior to 1971, the winner of the MJHL playoffs (Turnbull Cup) competed for the Abbott Cup (Western Canadian Junior Championship), and then the Memorial Cup for the National Junior Championship. These post MJHL playoffs are commonly know as the Memorial Cup playoffs (M-Cup), for the MJHL Champs the road was normally the Western M-Cup Semi-finals against the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League Champs and the western Finals (Abbott Cup), and then the Memorial Cup Finals. During this 53 year era (1918-1970), MJHL Teams won 18 Abbott Cups, and 11 Memorial Cups. Manitoba/Saskatchewan Junior ‘A’ Hockey Championships Anavet Cup (1971 to Present) Western Canadian Junior Hockey Championships Abbott Cup (1919 to 1970) Western Canadian Junior Championships Abbott Cup (1971 to 1999) Western Canadian Junior ‘A’ Championships National Junior Hockey Championships Memorial Cup (1919-1970) National Junior Championships Centennial Cup (1971 to 1995) National Junior ‘A’ Championships Awards *Player of the Week *Players of the Month *Mike Ridley Trophy Scoring Champion *Steve "Boomer" Hawrysh Memorial Award MVP *MJHL Top Goaltender Award *Brian Kozak Memorial Award Top Defenseman *Vince Leah Memorial Trophy Rookie of the Year *Lorne Lyndon Memorial Trophy Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship *Murray "Muzz" McPherson Memorial Award Coach of the Year *MJHL Playoff MVP Award All-Stars *MJHL Prospects Games *MJHL All-Star Games *MJHL All-Star Teams *MJHL Rookie All-Star Teams League Leaders *MJHL Regular Season Goal Scoring Leader *MJHL Regular Season Assist Leader *MJHL Regular Season Goals Against Average Leader *MJHL Playoff Scoring Leader CJHL Awards *CJHL Prospects Game selections *CJHL Player of the Year Award *CJHL Award Winners *Anavet Cup Awards Winners *Royal Bank Cup Awards Winners Scholarships *Ken "Friar" Nicolson Award *Ed Belfour High Performance Award *Frank McKinnon Award *RBC Financial Group MJHL Scholarship *MJHL Scholarship Fund Records *MJHL Single Game Records *MJHL Single Season Records *MJHL Top 10 Regular Season Point Scorers *MJHL Top 10 Regular Season Goal Scorers *MJHL Top 10 Regular Season Assists Scorers Alumni *Team Canada Members *NHL Players *NHL Coaches *NHL General Managers *NHL Officials *NHL Draft Picks *MJHLers drafted by the WHA *MJHLers who played in the WHA *MJHLers who coached in the WHA Commissioners Timeline of Teams Also see *List of MJHL Seasons Category:Manitoba Junior Hockey League Category:Ice hockey leagues